Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-03-17
SNOW BOUND At EAGLES
BY BRET HARTE.
copyrighted by Houghton, Miffiin & Co.. and
published by arrangement with them.l


He could scarcely realize his position. For
however he might look at it, within a space
Of twelve hours he had not only changed
some of his most cherished opinions, but he
had acted in accordance with that change in
way that made it seem almost impossible
for him ever to recant. In the interests of
law and order he had engaged in an unlaw-
full and disorderly pursuit of criminals, and
| had actually come in conflict, not with the
| criminals, but with the only party appar-
! emily authorized to pursue them More than
that, he was finding himself committed to a
certain sympathy with the criminals
Twenty-four hours ago, if any one had told
him that he would have condoned an illegal
act for its abstract justice, or assisted to COM
NIT an illegal act for tAs same purpose, he
/ would have felt himself insulted. That he
knew he would not now feel it an insult per-
/ picked him still more. In these circum-
/ stances the fact that he was separated from
! his family, and as itwere from all his past
I life and traditions by a chance accident, did
not disturb him greatly; indeed, he was for
L
able criticism on his inconsistency and was
| by no means in a hurry to subject himself
/ to it,
/ Lifting his eyes, he was suddenly aware
that the door leading to the kitchen was
/ slowly opening. He had thought he heard it
creak once or twice during his deliberate re-
/ ply to Stanner. 1t was evidently moving
now so as to attract his attention, without
disturbing the others. 1t presently opened
sufficiently wide to show the face of Zeenie,
who, with a gesture of caution toward his
companions, beckoned him to join her. He
rose carelessly as if going out, and, putting
on his hat, entered the kitchen as the retreat
ing figure of the young girl glided lightly
! toward the stables. She assembled a few open
steps as if to hay loft, but stopped before a
low door. Pushing it open, she preceded him
into a small room, apparently under the roof,
which scarcely allowed her to stand upright
By the light of a stable lantern hanging from
| a beam he saw that, though poorly furnished,
it bore some evidence of feminine taste and
habitation Motioning to the only chair, she
seated herself on the edge of the bed, with her
hands clasping her knees In her familiar atti-
tude. Her face bore traces of recent agita-
ton, and her eyes were shining with tears.
BY the closer light of the lantern he was sur
prised to find it was from laughter.
"Ireckoned you'd be right lonely down there
with that Stanner crowd, partickerly after
that little speech o your'n, so l seq to NAV
I'd get you up yer for spell. Nav and
herd you exhort 'eml Nav allowed you WOE
talkin' furrin tongue all along, but I-sakes
alive!-I he'd to hump myself to keep from
Dustin into yell when yer jist drawed them
Webster unabridged sentences OH 'em." She
stopped and rocked backward and forward
with a laugh that, subdued by the proximity
Of the roof and the fear of being overheard,
was by no means unmusical. I'm tell We
whot got me, thought That part commence
ing: 'Suckamstances over which I've no CON
trout"
ooh, come! didn't say that, interrupted
Hale, laughing.
I" Don't make it convenient for me to exer-
else the privilege of kickin' yer out to that
extent" she continued; +" but if / cannot
dispense with your room, the least / can say
is that it's a id sight better than your COM
pany'-or suthin' like that And then the
way you minded your stops and let your
voice rise and fall jest ez easy ez if you wos
First Reader in large type. Why, the kernel
wasn't nowhere. His cussin didn't come
within mile o yourn. That Stanner jist
turned yaller."
"Im afraid you are laughing at me-" said
Hale, not knowing whether to be pleased or
vexed at the girls amusement.
II reckon I'm the only one that dare do it.
then" said the girl, simply. "The kernel seq
the way you turned round after he'd done his
cussin', and said yer believed you'd stay and
take the responsibility of the whole thing
and did in that kan, soft, did-any body-spealx-
tome style-was the neatest thing he'd seen
yet No! Nav says l amt much on man
ners, but know a man when see him."
For an instant Hale gave himself up to the
delicious hattery of unexpected, unattended
and apparently uninterested compliment
Becoming at last little embarrassed under
the frank curiosity Of the girls dark eyes he
changed the subject.
do you always come up here through the
stablesf" he asked, glaneing round the room,
WHICH was evidently nei' OWL
II reckon" she answered, half abstract
eddy. There's a ladder down thar to
maw's room"-pointing to a trap door be-
side the broad chimney that served as
wall-"but it's handler the other way, and
nearer the bosses eff you want to get away
quick"
This palpable uggestion-borne out by
hat ba nya0ba Of tha pth
details-that the house had been planned
with reference to sudden foray or escape re-
awakened his former uneasy reflections.
Zeenie who had been watching his face,
added, "It's no SLOUGH, when bar or painters
hang round nights and stampede the stock,
to be able to swing yourself on to boss,
whenever you hear q row goin' on outsiden
"Do you mean that YOU
Paw used, and / do now, sense I've come
into the room" She pointed to monde
script garment, half cloak, half habit, hang
ing on the wall. 1--we been outer bed and
on Philippines back as far ez the trail five
minutes arter heard the first below"
Hale regarded her with undisguised as
constituent. There was nothing at all ANA
zonian or horsey in her manners, nor was
there even the robust physical contour that
might have been developed through such
experiences. On the contrary she seemed to
lazily effeminate in body and mind Heed
less of his critical survey az her, she beck
oned him to draw his chair nearer. and,
looking into his eyes, said:
Whatever possessed you to take to huntin'
men!'
Hale was staggered by the question, but
nevertheless endeavored to explain. But he
was surprised to find that his explanation ap-
peared stilted even to himself, and, he could
not doubt, was utterly incomprehensible to
the girl She nodded her head, however, and